The knee injury to MVP candidate Carson Wentz thrust backup Nick Foles into the spotlight for a Philadelphia Eagles team that clinched the NFC East and is on pace for a playoff bye.
In Sunday's 43-35 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, Foles helped lead a comeback victory, completing 6 of 10 passes for 42 yards. The offense was clearly restricted with Foles entering late, but a pivotal pass to Nelson Agholor helped salt away the win.
After the win, the 28-year-old veteran quarterback said he's prepared to lead the division champs as long as needed.
"I'm absolutely ready. That's why I'm here," Foles said, via the team's official website. "So I'm ready to go I prepare every day, work every day -- if need be.
"Coach [Doug] Pederson showed a lot of confidence with me and I have a long history with him. He knows I can go out and play so we'll see what happens."
With Foles under center, the Eagles must rely on a bruising ground game, led by Jay Ajayi, LeGarrette Blount, and Corey Clement. It's telling that when Foles entered Sunday's tilt Ajayi was the only back to earn a carry. The Eagles will need Ajayi's explosive ability sans Wentz.
Wentz's injury casts a pall on Philadelphia's outstanding season and thrusts questions about how far they can go in January. On the plus side, winning the division with three weeks left affords Pederson and Foles a chance to tinker before the postseason starts.
"Everyone's really excited because we put in a lot of work this season. We've won a lot of games. Great team effort," Foles said. "Carson's been a big piece of that puzzle. Everyone's been excited about the win, yeah, but when you have your starting quarterback go down, it's emotional.
"It was emotional for me, I work with him every day. We do everything together. I'm excited we won but at the same time, I'm dealing with it emotionally with him going down. You never want that."
We're constantly berated by coaches preaching 'next man up' philosophy to deal with injuries. Foles is that next man for the Eagles. The backup quarterback could be the difference between a Super Bowl team and another season of falling short in Philadelphia.
